


Didn't Have To Be

by ElentariR



Series: Getting Back to Myself [22]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:41:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23061142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElentariR/pseuds/ElentariR
Summary: Steven briefly reflects on Bucky.
Series: Getting Back to Myself [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/486617
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Didn't Have To Be

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is it. Shorter than intended, but here it is: the conclusion of the series. We'll just be pretending that everything after Age of Ultron didn't happen, shall we?

He was a dad.

A father.

The tiny bundle, soundly sleeping in the clear cradle, was his daughter. He still couldn’t believe it. After nine months, it was finally real. Truly real.

Steven smiled broadly. His chest swelled with pride.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. “How are you doing?” Steven tore his eyes away from his baby girl when Bucky silently came up to stand beside him.

“I’m a dad.” Steven’s smile grew. “Fairly certain I could fly right now.”

Bucky smiled. He squeezed his son’s shoulder. “Congratulations, son. You and Emma are gonna be real swell parents. Your ma and I are proud of you.”

Steven noticed the telling thickness of Bucky’s voice and felt his own throat constrict with emotions. Pressure mounted behind his eyes. Steven gave Bucky a tight hug. “Thank you, Dad.” he whispered.

Bucky pulled away, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“I was just thinking about that first night you came for supper.”

Bucky smiled. “You asked me about my arm.”

Steven chuckled. “Yeah...I don’t remember being too tactful about it either.”

“You were a kid. No one talks to kids for a _tactful_ conversation.” Bucky grinned.

“Then you took Mom and me to the zoo.”

Bucky nodded. “It was a good day, except for your Ma breaking her finger.” He tilted his head. “What’s got you thinking about all this?”

Steven looked back through the glass at his precious little baby girl. For a moment, his throat constricted painfully. “You always looked after me, treated me like I was a real person, not some dumb kid with too much energy and too many questions.”

“Because you weren’t, Steven,” Bucky said quietly.

Steven gave him a small smile. “Not many men would have treated me the same, if Mom had given them the time of day, and you know it.”

Bucky snorted. “Your Ma _wouldn’t_ have given them the time of day if they treated you like garbage.”

“True,” Steven allowed. “But...especially now knowing everything you were going through… You...” He took a shuddering breath and turned to Bucky. “I just hope,” he said, voice breaking, “That I can be half the dad that you didn’t have to be.”

Bucky swiped away tears of his own and gave Steven a tight hug.

“You will be, son. You will be.”


End file.
